Packaging tape is often sold as rolls of tape and sometimes sold as rolls of tape upon a dispenser. Packaging tape is often about two inches wide and is sold in rolls having a length measured in tens of yards or meters. Some packaging tape is sold on rolls of 20 yards or less. Some packaging tape is sold in lengths of about 30-50 yards. Packaging tapes are also sold in rolls containing 100 yards or more. Packaging tape for use by consumers in the home or in office settings are frequently sold in the 20-60 yard or meter range. Those sizes are of primary concern in the present disclosure.
Packaging tape is comprised of a plastic film of uniform width having an adhesive disposed on one side of the film. The film may have a release agent on the other side of the film allowing the tape to be wound upon a core in many layers forming a finished roll. The core can be plastic or cardboard and normally has a smooth cylindrical inner surface.
Packaging tapes are often used by consumers in an inexpensive dispenser. Some dispensers are disposable, single use dispensers, sold with the roll of tape and adapted to be used once and discarded. Other dispensers are still inexpensive but are designed to be reusable by the consumer. Such dispenser allow a consumer to buy a roll of tape on the dispenser in a multipack with other rolls of tape or to buy the single roll of tape and thereafter buy unmounted rolls of tape at less cost than a roll of tape on a dispenser.
Packaging tape dispensers for use by consumers at home and in small business situations and offices need to be inexpensive, compact, easy to use, easy to store, and durable. Tape dispensers should protect the exposed end of the roll of tape from contact with unintended surfaces. Tape dispensers should make the initial application of tape to a substrate easy. Tape dispensers should prevent the free end of tape from falling back on the roll. Dispensers attempting to meet all of these needs have been available in the past. Such dispensers often take the form of an injection molded body with a metal cutting blade at the forward end. The bodies consist of two side walls which are generally parallel to one another and an interconnecting wall connecting the forward ends to the side walls to one another. Inwardly extending hub portions are provided on each of the side walls. A roll of tape is supported on the two hub portions between the two side walls and below the interconnecting wall. The leading end of the tape on the roll of tape is pulled away from the roll of tape and led over tape retaining tabs, one on each side wall. The leading end of the tape is led past the cutter and applied to the substrate to which it is to be fixed. An appropriate length is applied and the cutter is used to cut off the piece of tape. The new end of tape is hopefully retained upon the tape retaining tabs and the tape dispenser can be set aside until it is next needed. Tape dispensers generally as described are available for tape on three inch cores and 1½ inch cores. Such dispensers are available in many different configurations attempting to meet the various needs described above and others. Existing tape dispensers do not completely and consistently fill all consumer needs.